


Destiny of Slaves

by Formula_Tea



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Formula E RPF
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, M/M, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Royalty, Slave Trade, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-11 15:16:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7057756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Formula_Tea/pseuds/Formula_Tea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of the king, the Golden Lands of Peace fell into recession. The only way out: marriage of the prince to a rich lord. The marriage is arranged and set, no matter how useless the prince thinks it to be, but the Wild Things have other ideas.<br/>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A moment of destiny

**Author's Note:**

> I've not finished writing this yet, and some of the warnings might need changing as I go through it, but I'll change them accordingly.

There were boys. There were boys playing on the other side of the fence. Bruno watched through the planks as they kicked the ball between them, chattering in a language he didn’t understand.

Bruno stood on shaking legs, his wooden blocks dropping to the floor. Mama said to not talk to the people on the other side of the fence. The Wild Ones. But they had a ball. And they looked nice. A bit dirty, and they were wearing funny bracelets, but nice. And Mama wasn’t looking…

Wobbling as he walked, Bruno crept towards the fence, glancing over his shoulder every now and again to make sure Mama still wasn’t looking.

“Hallow?” Bruno called when he was close enough to the fence to push his chubby hand through. “Hallow?”

The boys stopped and jumped away as if they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t have been doing. Bruno quickly span around, but Mama was still nowhere to be seen.

When Bruno turned back around, the boys were backing away, staring at Bruno as if he were a monster.

“Ball?” Bruno asked, pointing to the ball. “I play?”

The boys looked between each other, terrified. Bruno frowned, their pretty flashing bracelets catching his eye. Why didn’t he have a pretty bracelet? He would have to ask Mama for one.

“Play?”

The boy holding the ball took a step forward.

The boy dropped the ball, taking another step towards Bruno. Bruno watched the boy’s hand and his pretty flashing bracelet as he reached out to Bruno’s outstretched hand.

“No Nico! Come back!”

“Ball?” Bruno asked again.

The boy took hold of Bruno’s hand. Something zapped Bruno’s hand, shocking him and forcing him to jump away. The boy looked at him, a curious look on his face, shaking his hand in pain.

“Ow!” Bruno said. “You hurts.”

A grin spread across the boy’s face. He pointed to himself. “Nico.” Then turned this finger to Bruno. “Ball?”

Bruno giggled. “No! I’m Bruno,” he said, pointing to himself. He pointed to the ball the boy had discarded. “Ball.”

A strange red mark on his hand caught Bruno’s eye. He frowned, pulling his hand back through the fence. He couldn’t decide if it was pretty or not. It didn’t hurt though.

“Bruno!”

Bruno gasped, spinning around to find Mama hurrying towards him.

Slowly, he backed away from the fence, picking up one of the blocks in the hope Mama had not seen.

“Bruno, what have I told you about that fence,” Mama said, grabbing hold of her son and gripping his arms tight. “What have I told you? It is dangerous.”

“Are boys,” Bruno said, his bottom lip wobbling. “Have a ball.”

“They are not boys,” Mama snapped. “Are not boys. They are not people. You must not talk to them.”

“Have pretty bracelets,” Bruno said. “I want one.”

“No, Bruno. No you do not,” Mama said. “Bruno you must not play by the fence. It is dangerous. It is-.” Mama stopped when she noticed the mark on Bruno’s hand. “Where did you get this?”

“The boy,” Bruno said, wiping his eyes.

“Nico. Hurts me.”

“Bruno did he touch you?” Mama asked. Bruno frowned. Mama seemed scared. “Bruno did he touch you?”

“Held my hand,” Bruno said, beginning to panic now too. “Mama? What’s wrong? Mama?”


	2. A beautiful day for a wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something like 30 years later

It was perfect. The tranquil forest spoke to Bruno. The gentle breeze rustling the leaves in the trees, birds calling out to one another, rabbits hopping between hollow trees and bushes.

Bruno lay beside the pond, one glove off and with his hand in the water. And to think, not too far away, the castle was in chaos. People running this way and that, panicking about the Big Day.

Bruno cringed at the thought of it.

A wedding.

Why all this fuss for one day? Today didn’t really matter, in the grand scheme of things. It was just a reason for a party and to show off. All that needed to happen today was two people stand and say “I do” and sign a scrap of paper, Then the kingdoms would be united and brought out of poverty once more!

Or that’s what they said. Bruno wasn’t convinced. But what did he know?

A weeding. What a waste of a beautiful day.

“Bruno!”

Bruno groaned. There goes the tranquillity. Bianca could stomp through this beauty like… a dog stomping through a spider’s web.

“Bruno!” Bruno sat up, drying his hand on his trousers. Bianca would find hi. She knew him better than anyone. Which is why Bruno had hoped she’d leave him alone but no…

“Bruno Senna Lalli,” Bianca sighed, standing with her hands on her hips at the entrance of the clearing

“For now,” Bruno replied, putting his glove back on.

“You are supposed to be getting married today,” Bianca said.

“Really?” Bruno said sarcastically “I hadn’t noticed. Nobody passed this by me at all.”

“Bruno,” Bianca said, coming down to her brother. “I know you’re upset…”

“Upset? No!” Bruno said. “I’ll be in good company. You know he already has one husband. Maybe he can share a few tips.”

“Please don’t be like this,” Bianca said.

“Like what?” Bruno asked. “I am being married to a man I barely know, being taken away from my family, my home. And for what?”

“For the kingdom,” Bianca said gently, placing her hands on top of her brother’s.

“Of course,” Bruno muttered.

The kingdom had been in a desperate state since his father had passed and desperate times called for desperate measures.

“And you know Lewis,” Bianca added.

“I’ve met him about three times,” Bruno said. “Unless you count as a child, when he used to ruin my train set.”

“Bruno, it’s…”

“For the good of the kingdom, I know.”

He didn’t really have a choice. It had worked well for the Rosberg clan, as Bruno’s mother told him, but their kingdom was nothing like the Rosberg clan and he knew this was not going to end well.

“Mama is worried sick,” Bianca said. “There’s so much to do.”

“I just need to get dressed, go down the stairs, sell my soul, and it’s done.”

“Bruno…”

“Remember the stories Papa would read to us when we were children?” Bruno asked. “About sleeping princesses and brave princes and dragons and fairies?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember what they all had in common, Bianca?” Bruno asked, tears welling in his eyes. “Love. They always got married for love. And I don’t love him, Bianca, I don’t.”

“I know, Bruno,” Bianca said. “But this isn’t a story, is it?”


	3. The Reno

They looked scared. Prost could see it in their eyes. They all looked up at him, jaws clenched and hand gripping their weapons in the hope they could disguise their fear, but Prost could still see it in them.

He just hoped they didn’t see it in him.

“I know your pain,” he began, his voice carrying to the very back of the crowd. “For generations, the humans have looked down on us, taken us for slaves, only to throw us away like the bones of an animal when they’re done. Our brothers. Our sisters. Our children.”

He paused. His own son would be a man now. Prost wondered if he still remembered his family. His home. He wondered if he was even still alive.

No. It wasn’t time to think about that.

“But what do we say? No more!”

The air filled with a roar, weapons raised in anticipation of the clearly needed victory.

“We are Reno! The Gods of the Lands breathe through our lungs and see through our eyes. They know our pain and they say no more!”

Prost looked around the crowd with the next cheer. He could still see the fear there, but there was something else now too. Hope.

“It is time we take back our brothers and our sisters and our children and show them we are not their slaves. Their rulers marry today. And for what? Destiny? No. Love? The humans know no love. They marry for power. And whilst they celebrate that unity, we will show we are the ones with the power. For the Gods bless us and we say no more!”

 

“You’ve still got grass in your hair,” Bianca said as they arrived at the castle. “Let me.”

“Bruno Senna Lalli!”

“Oh no.”

“We have been looking everywhere for you,” his mother screeched as she ran down the steps, taking hold of her son’s hand and dragging him into the castle. “It is your wedding day. Do you not think your presence might be required at such an event?”

“Yes ma.”

“Lord Hamilton has already arrived and is being fitted in the west dresser. There are slaves waiting for you there.”

“Ma,” Bruno moaned. “I’m already marrying the man. Can I not put off seeing him until the wedding?”

“Now, Bruno.”

Bruno sighed, but did as his mother demanded. He knew how important this all was. If Lewis thought they weren’t doing it properly, he would probably complain he was being cheated.

Lewis stood on a pedestal in the west dresser, being dressed in traditional Hamilton armour when Bruno arrived. Slaves fussed around him, dressing him, feeding him. Bruno rolled his eyes. He was every part the papered prince, even if he didn’t have the title yet.

“Ah, here he is. The blushing bride.” Lewis smirked, watching Bruno as he was whisked across the room. “You’re late.”

“Oh no, did I miss the wedding?” Bruno asked as the slaves helped him out of his leisure wear.

Lewis’ smile didn’t falter. He waved slaves off of him so he could watch his future husband without distraction.

“Do you remember when we were children?” he asked.

“Yes,” Bruno said with a sigh, stopping a slave removing his gloves.

“Remember when you would go on and on about the ‘pretty bracelets’?” Lewis asked. He watched Bruno’s eyes flick down to the closest slave’s shackles, the red light on it flashing. “Remember how you wanted one so bad?”

“I was four, Lewis,” Bruno said, shortly.

“You know, when we’re married, I could get you one,” Lewis said. “You could wear a pretty bracelet and do whatever I say.”

Bruno rolled his eyes. “Would that make you feel important?”

Lewis narrowed his eyes but, before he could reply, Bruno’s mother rushed into the room.

“Come on, Bruno. You are going to be late.”


	4. Ribbons of gold and green and blue

Bruno had to admit, it did look beautiful. The hall was decorated with ribbons of gold, green, and blue, daffodils in every candle stick holder and every button hole. Guests filled every seat and, though Bruno wouldn't have been able to name half these people if he tried, he knew they were all important. The spaces on the benches at his wedding had been reserved the day he was born. Suddenly, Bruno felt a little nervous.

His Uncle Leonardo stood in the space his father should have filled, smiling when Bruno turned to him.

"You'll be alright," he said, squeezing Bruno's shoulder under his traditional silver cloak.

"And if I'm not?" Bruno asked.

Leonardo looked down at his nephew, cocking his head in thought. "You're wise, like your father, and a fighter, like your mother, and kind, like my brother. If you're not alright, how can any of us ever hope to be?"

Bruno smiled, weakly, not sure if the answer was comforting or not.

The music starting was his cue to start moving, but his feet had turned to lead. Leonardo took hold of his hand, guiding him down the aisle whilst his sisters followed behind.

All eyes were on him as he took the long walk down the hall, all the guests staring. Bruno didn't look at them, watching his feet as he shuffled towards the alter, tears stinging his eyes.

He couldn't do this. He was the prince, not some bargaining tool. But it was too late to beg now. not whilst the eyes of the world were on him.

After what felt like an eternity, but not nearly long enough, they reached the front of the hall. Bianca and Paula filed away to sit beside their mother, leaving only Bruno, Leonardo, and Lewis stood at the front. Behind Lewis, Bruno could see his first husband, Nico Rosberg. He looked a lot smaller than Bruno remembered. Paler, like it had been years since he last saw sunlight

Leonardo offered Bruno's hand to Lewis.

"I offer you Prince Bruno Senna Lalli, heir to the Golden Lands of Peace," he proclaimed, the script unchanged from medieval times. "And ask from you only that you cherish him and care for him like a shepherd cares for his flock."

Bruno still wouldn't look up, but he could imagine the smile on Lewis' face.

"I accept your gift," Lewis said, taking Bruno's hand. "And promise that he will drink from my goblet and eat from my plate for as long as we both shall live."

Applause echoed around the room. Bruno tried not to cringe, turning to his uncle. Leonardo cupped his nephew's cheek, wiping away a stray tear.

"You will be alright," Leonardo said. "I promise."

Bruno nodded, his bottom lip wobbling. "Thank you."

Leonardo patted his back before going to sit with his sister and nieces.

"You're mine now," Lewis whispered as the priest came forward. He held onto Bruno's hand so tightly Bruno was scared he might break it. Something told him that might not be the worst thing.

"We are gathered here today to join in front of the world two tender hearts. We have witnessed Prince Bruno Senna Lalli be given to Lord Lewis Hamilton, and now we will watch the pair promise their unity for all time."

Bruno could feel his legs shaking beneath him and he was beginning to feel as if he might faint.

"First, Lord Hamilton," the priest said, turning to Lewis.

"Stop!"

Everyone spun around as the leader of the army, di Grassi, burst into the room, panic on his face. Bruno tried to hide his relief.

"The Wild Things are attacking," di Grassi called. "We're under attack."


	5. Attack

It felt as if the sky was on fire. A million questions rushed through Bruno’s mind as he was rushed to the keep. Wild Things didn’t have the technology to set the sky alight. They didn’t have the intelligence to storm the Golden Lands. They didn’t have a reason.

“Move!” Di Grassi called at the men ahead. “Slaves to the hold! Do not let one slip past! Women and children to the keep.”

Bruno stumbled, tripping over his own feet and sprawling over the floor. He curled himself into a ball as everyone sped past.

Bruno was sure he could hear screams but it might have just been the ringing his ears. Suddenly there was a thump beside him and Bruno peaked out from behind his arms to see a body of a man, arrow sticking out of his chest.

“Fuck.”

Bruno struggled to stand against the stampede of people, bones cracking as people rushed over him to get to safety.

“Your highness.”

Bruno was lifted from the floor, blood stains over his wedding outfit. Di Grassi lifted him up, checking Bruno’s pulse before starting towards the keep again.

“You always did like to get into trouble, your highness,” Di Grassi said with a laugh.

“Thank you.”

There was more screaming coming from behind them and Bruno felt something whizz past his head. Ahead of them, another man fell, arrow in his back.

Di Grassi grunted suddenly, his steps faltering. Out of the corner of his eye, Bruno could just see an arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

“You’re hit,” Bruno said, looking up at his rescuer with wide eyes. “You’re hit.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re-.”

Another arrow flew towards them, catching Di Grassi in the back of the neck. He flew forwards to the floor, Bruno falling from his arms. The stampede continued and, before Bruno could move, he’d blacked out.

 

Prost looked around the deserted streets from atop his horse. They’d rescued a few Reno, but it was only a hundred at the most and they’d lost at least half that in the fight. The humans were gathering troops and he knew they had to leave now or they’d all be slaughtered.

For all the preparation, though, it didn’t feel like a victory. This was the day he was supposed to guarantee his people’s freedom, and he’d failed.

More importantly, perhaps, or more personally, there was no sign of Nicolas.

His second in command looked up at Prost, waiting for orders. They weren’t a fighting tribe and to come away with both troops alive and slaves freed seemed like a success to him.

“Commander Prost!”

Prost span around. A handful of Reno were hunched over a body in the street, one holding a limp hand up in the air. Prost frowned, climbing down from his horse and going to see what all the fuss was about.

“He’s definitely human,” the Reno holding the hand up said. “And alive. What shall we do with him commander Prost?”

“If he’s human, leave him,” Prost said, struggling to see why this was an issue.

Then he spotted it – the mark on the human’s hand. Unless human’s had started – no, it was definitely a Reno destiny mark. And not any mark. The crown of thorns. The Reno royal mark.

“Nico,” Prost whispered. “He’s alive.”

 


	6. What do we do now?

"We cannot just ignore this," Lewis told the defence council. "It was an attack on Golden Lands soil, on a day of celebration, committed just to scare us. We have to show that they cannot do this. We have to show who is in charge."

"With all due respect, Lord Hamilton," Leonardo said through gritted teeth. "These are the Golden Lands of _Peace_. My brother and brother in law brought peace to this kingdom and we cannot just destroy that by attacking the Wild Things."

"They attacked us first!" Lewis cried.

"And we cannot fight fire with firs," Leonardo said. "We need to talk to them. Find out why they attacked and try to resolve the issue. We are adults and must act like it, not like children squabbling over toys."

"Talking?" Lewis scoffed. "Because that worked well for King Lalli. For your brother. They tried their way and they died. We cannot just continue a method that has proven to fail."

"They are people."

"They are Wild Things!"

"Lord Hamilton, I would remind you that you are not a member of the royal family yet," Leonardo said through gritted teeth.

The entire council fell silent, looking between Lewis and their king. Lewis glared at Leonardo, knowing there was no answer for that. One more hour. If the damn Wild Things had just given him one more hour...

"If you go to try to talk to the Wild Things, you will be passing the kingdom to your nephew," Lewis warned. "Do you think he is ready for that?"

"You have little faith in the power of negotiation," Leonardo said.

"I'm just looking at the facts."

The doors flew open and Viviane rushed into the room, worry covering her face.

"Bruno? Bruno? Is he here?"

"He was taken to the keep," Leonardo said. "Viv, calm down."

"He's not there," Viviane said. "He was being taken di Grassi but he was shot down. They took him, Leo. They took him."

"They can't have taken him," Leonardo said. "You know Bruno. He probably went and hid somewhere. He'll show up. Send Bianca to find him if you must."

"She's looked everywhere for him," Viviane said. "I am telling you, Leonardo. They have my son."

Leonardo sighed and stood, going over to his sister. He should have known she would be hysterical, after everything she had been through.

"We'll send out a search party, ok?" he said, gently, rubbing Viviane's arm. "He probably just got lost in all the chaos. We'll find him, Viviane, don't worry."

 

It was late when the search parties returned, but Viviane was still awake, Bianca at her side. She already knew it was going to be bad news.

Leonardo knocked gently on his sister's bedroom door, half hoping she would be asleep so his men would have a few more hours to search, but a shaking voice called for him to come in.

"Viviane."

"They took him, didn't they," Viviane whispered.

"I'm so sorry."

"I want them killed."

 


	7. A Reno welcome

Prost watched the human as he slept. His injury had been cured whilst he slept, which had pained Prost a little. He hadn't wanted to waste any of their precious medicines on find his son, and he couldn't let that slip away.

The human looked familiar, but Prost didn't know why, and he had no explanation for the mark on his hand. Beside the obvious, of course. The Gods had decided he was destined to be with Nicolas, and they had met. hey hadn't been united as one yet. the mark was still a bright red. Marriage would turn it purple, and the death of either one of them would turn it black.

The mark scared Prost. His son, his eldest child, destined to be with a  _human_. But, at the same time, the raw red colour was a comfort. It was hope.

It was a day after he'd been taken in that the human began to wake. His eyes fluttered and Prost called his wife in to make sure he was fed and watered properly. He watched as the human ate, chewing slowly on the stew and glancing over in Prost's direction every now and again.

His second in command had suggested tying him up, or at least fit him with one of the shackles they'd managed to free the rescued Reno from. Prost had decided against it. They were better than the humans.

Anne-Marie left with the bowl once the human was finished eating, leaving him alone with Prost.

"Do you have a name?" he asked.

The human blinked at hum blankly, and Prost realised he probably didn't understand. The humans had their own language which Prost had been trying to learn for years but had never been able to.

"Anne-Marie! Can you bring Sebastien in?"

Sebastien was one of the Reno they had rescued. Prost remembered when he had been taken, only a few winters ago. He had to have learned the human language when he was enslaved. Prost just hoped he was of a good enough mental state to act as a translator.

The ex-slave came into Prost's tent timidly, his head still bowed a little out of habit. His eyes widened when he saw the human sat up in the bed, and Prost thought he might run away from the job, but Sebastien nodded, sitting beside his chief.

"Do you have a name??" Prost asked again.

The human looked between the two Reno, clearly trying to decide whether to tell the truth.

"Bruno," the human said eventually. "Bruno... Senna Lalli."

"Senna?" Prost asked.

"Prince Bruno Senna Lalli, of the Golden Lands of Peace," the human said slowly.

Prost shook his head. "He's lying."

"He's not," Sebastien said. "I've seen his picture before. He's the prince."

Prost looked at the human. He'd seen his father and uncles' faces before. The family resemblance was there. 

"I'm Alain Prost," he said. "Chief of the Reno."

Bruno looked, confused, between Prost and Sebastien. "Reno?"

"This is what the Gods named our ancestors many winters ago," Prost said. "And we take this name on, generation after generation."

Bruno nodded, slowly.

"I need to ask you a question," Prost said, slowly. "And the answer is very, very important."

Bruno nodded again, waiting for the question.

"Where did you get the mark on your hand."


	8. Out of place

Bruno looked down at the mark, a red, raggedy circle on the back of his hand. He barely ever saw it now. His mother always made him cover it with gloves or makeup or whatever else he could find.

"I don't know," he said quietly. "I've had it forever."

Bruno watched as the translator took his message, wondering if he actually told Prost what he'd said, or made up some other answer to hurt him.

"You can't have. A mark like that only comes from contact with your destined one."

Bruno looked down at the mark again, then up to Prost. Something in the Wild Thing's eyes tugged at his heart. He'd seen it before, when his mother insisted his father had to still be alive. Desperation.

"I don't remember," Bruno said "I've had it for as long as I can remember. What do you mean "destined one"?"

"A destined one is the person the Gods plan to have you spend the rest of your life with," Prost explained. "How is it you humans tell stories about? Your one true love."

Bruno looked between Prost and Sebastien. Every reply seemed to take twice as long to compute than normal.

"My true love?" he said slowly. "my true love is a Wild Thing I met when I was a baby."

"My son," Prost said as soon as the translator was finished. "Your true love is my son."

Son. If Wild Things treated family like humans did, that explained why he was here. Tat explained the desperation.

Bruno didn't know what to do. Prost wanted to find his son and thought Bruno might be able to help but he couldn't. As far as he knew, he hadn't seen his true love since he was a child, and he didn't think Prost was going to be happy with that answer.

"How do you know it's your son?" Bruno asked slowly.

Prost sighed, shuffling his chair forward, and slipped the robes off of his left shoulder. Burned into his shoulder was a dark purple bruise, the same shape as the one on Bruno's hand.

"My wife grabbed my shoulder when I was only a teenager," Prost explained. "The Gods keep the families together. That is the Reno royal mark. I have three children. Two are safe and found, following the herds and living our simple lives. My eldest, Nicolas, was stolen from us when he was just a child, to work as a slave for the humans."

"We only take children that have been abandoned," Bruno said, confused. He knew slavery was wrong, but they only took children if they could offer them a better life. "There must have been some mistake."

"Abandoned!" Prost cried. "He was not abandoned. The children were playing when the human hunters came. You stole my son."

Bruno shook his head. That wasn't how it worked. They wouldn't just take children from there families. His father wouldn't have reigned over a kingdom that did that, Wild Thing or not.

"You had to have abandoned him," Bruno said. "We wouldn't have just taken him without reason."

"He was kidnapped," Prost insisted. "You do not believe your words. I can see it in your eyes. The humans have been taking our people for generations. You are evil."

 


End file.
